SC grants bail to a YouTuber and says “If before elections, we start putting behind bars everyone who makes allegations on YouTube, imagine how many will be jailed?”

Today, the Supreme Court (SC) of India restored the bail granted to YouTuber A. Duraimurugan Sattai, accused of making derogatory remarks against MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. While granting bail, the SC bench said “we do not think that by protesting and expressing views he can be said to have misused his liberty.” Making a sharp observation, the two-judge bench consisting of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan remarked, “If before elections, we start putting behind bars everyone who makes allegations on YouTube, imagine how many will be jailed? And who decides what is scandalous? Look at the bigger picture.” While granting bail to the YouTuber, the bench said, “Leave granted. By impugned order, benefit of bail granted to appellant was canceled. This Court continued interim bail earlier; he continues to be on bail for 2.5 years…All the same, we do not find grounds to cancel bail. We thus quash the High Court order canceling bail, and restore the earlier order granting bail. Needless to say, cancelation of bail can be applied for if deemed fit.” The SC bench further clarified that if Sattai misuses the liberty granted to him then the State can approach for cancelation of his bail.